Clothes-stick



(N0 Mode l.)

W. J.,O0AKLEY.

CLOTHES STICK.

No. 559,264. Patented Apr. 28, 1896.

WITNESSES); INVENTOH A TTOH'NE YS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM J. COAKLEY, OF ROOKLAND, MAINE.

CLOTHES-STICK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,264, dated April28, 1896. Application filadMay 1,1895. Serial No. 547,793. (No model.)

clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to an improved laundry implement adapted for themanipulation of fibrous material in a washboiler and for safely removingsuch material from the boiler preparatory to the rubbing of the materialto complete the cleansing operation.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and novel device ofthe indicated character, which may be conveniently handled, which may bereadily engaged with material that is to be lifted into or from thewashboiler, and that will have the end which contacts with the articlesin the boiler made sufficiently elastic to obviate liability of injuryto such articles.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofparts, as hereinafter described, and indicated in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side View of the improved clothes-stick. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal sectional view on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional view substantially on the line 3 3 in Fig. 2, andFig. 4 is an end view of the improvement.

The invention in brief comprises a slightlyyielding head-piece mountedon one end of a handle-lever, the head-piece being designed to engagethe material which is to be manipulated with the clothes-stick.

In the drawings, 10 represents a preferably wooden bar, which forconvenience in handling may be given an oval form in cross-section, andtapered toward one end,whereon the head-piece 11 is mounted, the bar-orhandlelever being afforded a suitable length for its efiective use. Thehead-piece 11 is formed of vulcanized gum or other material of a likenature, which will ,be measurably elastic, strong, and capable ofresisting the disintegrating action of boiling water. The end of thehandle-lever,technically known as a clothesstick, is cylindricallyformed to enter the head-piece 11,;the latter being furnished with asocket of such a diameter and depth.

as will adapt the head-piece to fit closely on the stick, if slightlystretched to increase its diameter when the cylindric end of the stickis forced therein, the contractile force of the slightly-elastichead-piece effecting its retention in place without other fastening.lVhile the shape of the head-piece 11 maybe some what varied from theform represented in the drawings and the device operate efficiently, itis preferred to construct the part 11 as shown. The same consists of abarrel-shaped shell, open at one end only, and furnished with a seriesof longitudinally-arranged ribs 11, having tapering ends, and which arespaced apart, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4.. It is also preferred toform a circumferential rib ll on the head-piece 11 near the solid end ofthe same, which rib is at the base of the square or otherpolygonal-shaped terminal portion 11that is, the leading extremity ofthe head-piece.

In use the operator grasps the handle or stick 10, and if the clothesare in a washboiler undergoing the boiling process the head-piece 11 maybe safely used to push the fabric down, or, by rotating the head-piece,cause its ribs 11 to grip on the goods, which will fix the engagedmaterial on the headpiece so that said goods may be safely raised forturning the same in the boiler, or may be removed therefrom, if this isdesired, the release of the material thus handled being obviouslyeffected by a reverse rotation of the stick and head-piece.

It will be seen that the angular projection 11 and circumferential ribll coact with the longitudinal ribs 11 when material is partly wrappedon the head-piece, and prevent said goods from slipping off of the frontend of the head-piece. As the head-piece 11 is adapted to yield enoughto avoid punching holes in the clothing orother material it is made toengage with in the boiler, it will be evident that the novelclothes-stick which embodies the improvement is safe to use on thefinest fabric, and affords a convenient and inexpensive implement, whichis a marked improve ment over the kind in common use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a handle-lever or stick, of ameasurably elastic head-piece having a socket to receive the end of thestick, the said head-piece having an angular front end and acircumferential rib at the base of said angular end, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a handle-lever or stick, of a measurably elastichead-piece having a socket to receive the end of the stick and by itscontraction is held thereon, the said head-piece having a series oflongitudinal spaced ribs, an angular front end, and a cir-

